The ecological and evolutionary significance of seed shape and volume for the germination of 383 species on the eastern Qinghai-Tibet plateau

Bu, Hai Yan; Wang, Xue Jing; Zhou, Xian Hui; Qi, Wei; Liu, Kun; Ge, Wen Jing; Xu, Dang Hui; Zhang, Shi Ting

doi:10.1007/s12224-016-9271-y

Cited by 25 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…For example, shape‐based seed traits, which are simple and inexpensive to measure, had strong effects on time to germination and were retained in all top‐ranking models. Consistent with prior studies, we found higher germination rates in narrower seeds with higher shape variance (Bu et al., ; Grime et al., ). In addition, we found that embryo measurements were positive predictors of time to germination, that is, seeds with a larger embryo relative to the size of the whole seed germinated more rapidly.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…External morphological traits like seed shape may be important for understanding germination and ultimately emergence and persistence. Seed shape has been linked to germination, with elongated seeds germinating more rapidly than rounded seeds (Bu et al., ; Grime, Mason, Curtis, Rodman, & Band, ). In some cases, seed shape has been a stronger predictor of germination than seed mass (Wang et al., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Phylogenetic position can also summarize key information about species in a way that integrates over many traits (Burns & Strauss, ; Cadotte, Cavender‐Bares, Tilman, & Oakley, ; Srivastava, Cadotte, Macdonald, Marushia, & Mirotchnick, ). Phylogenetic conservatism has been found to play a role in both seed traits and germination responses, and phylogeny can be used to understand variation in germination response that is not accounted for by measured seed traits alone (Bu et al., ; Hoyle et al., ; Seglias, Williams, Bilge, & Kramer, ; Wang, Baskin, Cui, & Du, ). Thus phylogenetic methods can both complement and strengthen inferences about the influence of traits.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cracking the case: Seed traits and phylogeny predict time to germination in prairie restoration species

Barak

Lichtenberger

Wellman‐Houde

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Traits are important for understanding how plant communities assemble and function, providing a common currency for studying ecological processes across species, locations, and habitat types. However, the majority of studies relating species traits to community assembly rely upon vegetative traits of mature plants. Seed traits, which are understudied relative to whole‐plant traits, are key to understanding assembly of plant communities. This is particularly true for restored communities, which are typically started de novo from seed, making seed germination a critical first step in community assembly and an early filter for plant establishment. We experimentally tested the effects of seed traits (mass, shape, and embryo to seed size ratio) and phylogeny on germination response in 32 species commonly used in prairie grassland restoration in the Midwestern USA, analyzing data using time‐to‐event (survival) analysis. As germination is also influenced by seed dormancy, and dormancy break treatments are commonly employed in restoration, we also tested the effects of two pretreatments (cold stratification and gibberellic acid application) on time to germination. Seed traits, phylogeny, and seed pretreatments all affected time to germination. Of all traits tested, variables related to seed shape (height and shape variance) best predicted germination response, with high‐variance (i.e., pointier and narrower) seeds germinating faster. Phylogenetic position (the location of species on the phylogenetic tree relative to other tested species) was also an important predictor of germination response, that is, closely related species showed similar patterns in time to germination. This was true despite the fact that all measured seed traits showed phylogenetic signal, therefore phylogeny provided residual information that was not already captured by measured seed traits. Seed traits, phylogenetic position, and germination pretreatments were important predictors of germination response for a suite of species commonly used in grassland restoration. Shape traits were especially important, while mass, often the only seed trait used in studies of community assembly, was not a strong predictor of germination timing. These findings illustrate the ecological importance of seed traits that are rarely incorporated into functional studies of plant communities. This information can also be used to advance restoration practice by guiding restoration planning and seed mix design.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Cracking the case: Seed traits and phylogeny predict time to germination in prairie restoration species

Barak

Lichtenberger

Wellman‐Houde

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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“…Other functional seed traits may have an effect on germination; e.g., coat structure, shape, the presence or absence of spines, presence of endosperm, dispersal structures, tubercles or the presence or absence of mucilage (Harper et al 1970, Mott 1974, Valencia-Díaz et al 2015. Bu et al (2016), examining 383 Alpine meadow species, found a combined effect of shape and volume of seeds on germination, where the volume of the seed had an effect on the germination of elongated seeds. In addition, the hypothesis of Merino-Martín et al (2017) that small-seeded species germinate more than large-seeded species under drought could be more relevant in round seeds.…”

Section: Contrast Estimate Z Value Pmentioning

confidence: 99%

Germination of seven species of shrubs in semiarid central Mexico: Effect of drought and seed size

et al. 2020

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Background: In semiarid ecosystems, many plant species are tolerant to drought. However, increased aridity as a result of climatic change could modify the capacity of germination and establishment. Hypothesis: Under drought conditions, small-seeded species will tend to germinate in higher proportions than large-seeded species because the former have larger surface-to-volume ratio, allowing for more rapid water uptake. Study species: Ageratina espinosarum, Flourensia resinosa, Montanoa tomentosa and Gymnosperma glutinosum (Asteraceae), Dalea bicolor, Eysenhardtia polystachya and Mimosa pringlei (Fabacecae). Study site: Hidalgo, Mexico. September 2015. Methods: We evaluated the effect of five water potential treatments on seed germination. Four dishes (replicates), each with 25 seeds, were used in each treatment. Seeds of each species were weighed and the relationship between seed germination under water stress and seed size was obtained. Results: Germination decreased as water potential was reduced; almost no seeds germinated at -0.8 MPa. The least sensitive species was Eysenhardtia polystachya, whose germination reached 35 % at -0.6 MPa. A positive relationship was found between seed size and germination proportion under water stress. Conclusions: Contrary to expectation, germination was higher in the large-seeded species in all drought treatments, suggesting that large seeds may have a greater capacity to retain water in dry environments.

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“…In view of the fact that no major earthquakes occurred in the eastern border area of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau between 1999 and 2009 since the establishment of the "Network Project", we can approximately regard the long period of GPS horizontal motion velocity field from 1999 to 2009 before the Wenchuan earthquake as the background trend pattern of horizontal motion in the study area to analyze the spatial zoning differences. The temporal characteristics of horizontal motion changes related to the occurrence of large earthquakes (Bu et al, 2016) are analyzed by using the recent motion state from 2009 to 2017 after the earthquake. The horizontal velocity field of the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau from 1999 to 2009 is shown in Fig.…”

Section: Spatial Difference and Time Stage Characteristics Of Horizonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Basic Characteristics and Evolution of Geological Structures in the Eastern Margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

2019

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Based on field geological survey and stratigraphic profile survey in the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the basic characteristics and evolution of geological structure in the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are studied. The Dongyuan area of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is divided into the late Cenozoic period and the current period. During the Late Cenozoic, the Pliocene Xigeda lacustrine deposits develops from 4.2 MaBP to 2.6 MaBP, with 9 cold-warm climate change stages. There are 4.3 MaBP old glacial period in this area, and 5 extreme paleoclimate events in Quaternary. At present, the horizontal movement intensity and mode of different tectonic zones are determined by the northward extrusion, eastward extrusion and rotation around the eastern tectonic junction in the study area, and the stages of the movement state changing with time are related to the gestation and occurrence of extra-large earthquakes. At present, the three-dimensional crustal movement shows that the tectonic activity differentiation of mountain and basin, which is related to tectonic dynamic environment and deep material activity, is related to the compression, shortening and uplift of plateau mountain and the extension and subsidence of basin, reflecting the inheritance of neotectonic activity. Through practical analysis, it is found that the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is composed of Minshan fault block and Longmenshan structural belt. The left-lateral dislocation of Minjiang fault is roughly the same as the vertical dislocation. In Longmenshan tectonic belt, the right-lateral dislocation of Maowen-Wenchuan fault, Beichuan-Yingxiu fault and other main faults is the same as the vertical dislocation.

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The ecological and evolutionary significance of seed shape and volume for the germination of 383 species on the eastern Qinghai-Tibet plateau

Cited by 25 publications

References 45 publications

Cracking the case: Seed traits and phylogeny predict time to germination in prairie restoration species

Cracking the case: Seed traits and phylogeny predict time to germination in prairie restoration species

Germination of seven species of shrubs in semiarid central Mexico: Effect of drought and seed size

Basic Characteristics and Evolution of Geological Structures in the Eastern Margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

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